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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mark — a grade
  4. capital — money
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wax — to grow
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. capital — a city
  16. mark — a trace
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. face — part of the head
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com